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Monday, July 24, 2017

Once and For All gets 3 Stars {YA Lit, Contemporary Fiction}

I love Sarah Dessen's writing. I love that she is a contemporary fiction writer with a touch of romance. I love that her books have depth and cover deeper issues. I love that she is from Chapel Hill North Carolina. I've read many of her books, if not all of them, and have enjoyed most of them. I think Just Listenis one of my favorites. I love most of Dessen's books, but I didn't love this book. I feel Once and For Alllacked the depth and the character development that young adults and high school students need. Besides the lack of character development I think the storyline and plot were lacking. Once and For Allis an okay read, but I definitely don't think it's even close to being Dessen's finest work.3 out of 5 stars is my official book review rating. I was disappointed with the character development, lack of depth, and a weak plot. I was disappointed that Louna didn't show any growth. I was disappointed she had sex on a beach with someone she barely met, even if it was "true love" and they had expressed their enduring love for each other. I was disappointed that Ambrose had no real great redeeming qualities. I guess there were a lot of things that I was disappointed with, and I probably scored this book higher b/c I like Dessen. Though, there were a few things that I did like. I thought her mom being a wedding planner was fun. I thought her mom's relationship with her business partner was enjoyable as well as showed more diversity than other Dessen books had. I thought Ben was a decent guy. I liked that Louna, the main character, was going to college. Sad though, that a character getting an education reaches the things I liked. To be honest there was a lot of disappointment in an already somewhat boring read. If I didn't already have a love for Dessen's books I probably wouldn't have finished it. I can say that I will not recommend this book. I guess I learned that even your favorite authors have bad days/books. It's a hard lesson to learn sometimes. Are you a Sarah Dessen fan? What's your favorite book of hers? Am I far off your views of this book? Happy Young Adult Contemporary Lit Reading!

Once and For All by Sarah DessenRating: 3/5 starsBest For: 14-18 year olds, high school and upWorth a Check Out: If you like contemporary litBuy It or Not: NotSex/Violence/Language: Sex is mentioned but little detail. Violence is referred to. Some language in context.Read Aloud: NoLesson Ideas: Honestly, I wouldn't use this for any lessons.